[WATCH] Killer Mike: “Demand Something In Exchange For Your Vote.”

(via npr.org)

While the election is over, and Donald Trump has been elected as the President of the United States, it’s important for voters and nonvoters to now reflect on where we currently stand as a community and as a nation.

Video footage of Killer Mike speaking on the recent presidential election, courtesy of TMZ, has been reposted numerous times on our newsfeed and he actually made some valid points to reflect on:

  • He stressed the importance of voting locally in order to have a say in choosing the county commissioners, city councilmen, judges, prosecutors, etc. “You’re failing yourself, schools, and community if you don’t”, he stated.
  • He believes we (the black community) should “demand something in exchange for our vote”.
  • He also stated “black people are living in conditions that are not far from third world countries.”

Post-election, many members of the black community decided to shame the non-voters and voters who didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton. Many apparently feel maybe the outcome might have been different if more people voted. However, it’s all pretty irrelevant at this point. Instead of arguing about the outcome of the election, we could actually use that energy in more productive ways.

Now that the election is over, what are some things we can actively do that will help re-structure our communities? We are in dire need of better schools and educational programs, more black owned businesses and establishments, and we still don’t have a strong circulation of our dollars within our own communities as others tend to have within theirs.

 

Yes, our ancestors marched, protested, and even put their lives on the line in exchange for us to be able to receive the same rights that were granted to others. However, many African Americans seem to have gotten comfortable with the idea that simply casting a ballot is enough. What are we doing before and after these ballots are casted? Shouldn’t our concern for the state of the black community go beyond the vote? If you see that your inner activist only appears when it’s convenient and popular, maybe you should re-evaluate your intentions, as well as your role within the community.

Also, how are we holding these politicians we are so adamant about electing, accountable for the promises they make during their campaigning phase? The black community seem to only be of any interest to candidates when they are reaching for votes. During this time, all sorts of promises are made, but it tends to get real quiet after the votes are in. We can’t expect those who are not a part of our community to have the passion and dedication required to save it. We have to save ourselves.

Voting can be a start, if that’s the route you choose to take, but unfortunately that’s exactly where it ends for many of us.

Where do we go from here?

You can check out Killer Mike’s brief interview with a TMZ reporter below: